So this is my Donnie. Probably the largest jump I make from the original design of the character.

My train of thought on this design sort of went all over the place. My original idea was to go a more sumo route. To showcase another form of asian fighting. I thought the idea of a large sumo wrestler type fighter who has to use a bow staff to extend his reach would be kinda cool. From there I added a bit more of the techy aspect of the character that is currently being used in the new TMNT show. I took it to the point where he is a walking workstation. I really wanted to make the character to seem like a guy who really spends almost all of his time tinkering and creating new tech. This brought me to giving him sort of a heavy leather work outfit. The kind people use at metal workshops and places involving a lot of sparks. Another idea I thought to add in there was the bomb aspect of ninjas. Dropping smoke bombs and the like. I just took Donnie to the extreme where he is strapped with a multitude of bombs. For any occassion.

By the end he became of a tank character. I think the sumo type fighting would be cool to keep, if he ever needed to get up close, but mainly he is a character that because he can’t move that fast, uses his tech and bombs to the fullest extent.

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If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. - Henry Ford
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Who the **** makes a movie and while planning it is like, "you know what this needs...is some Greg Kinnear."

That's how I would like them to look. I love those statues. They look like a mix of the cartoon and original movie with the gritty tough edge of the comics.

I've always thought it would be cool if they expanded on the origin story not by changing anything, but by spending more time developing their training. And play up the fact that ninja are essential the special ops concept of feudal Japan. Where did Splinter get their weapons? Why, I'd say he found somewhere, broke in, and stole them.

Where do they get computers, TVs, etc? I'd expect garbage that Donatello repairs, but they're wired into the city and stealing electricity, stealing cable. If they tangled with a robber, they might take his wallet and that's how they pay for getting food delivered.

Really explore their training with the old classic kung fu movie style scenes where Splinter is just plain grueling and vicious with their training, but then a completely different side of him when they aren't training and he's their father figure.

A plot that revolves more around training, preparing, even a few practice "missions" top side, the first time they fight, hell the first time one of them kills someone. Because the first story would be great to be, at its core, a revenge storyline. Training the turtles to avenge Splinter's master by doing what ninjas are trained for: Assassinate Oroku Saki. Maybe no Casey in the first movie, maybe not even April until the second, though that almost seems blasphemous as she offers that connection to the city and expands on just what it is they feel there is for them to fight for beyond revenge.

I always thought there was a lot of material there to do a lot of character development. Splinter should be portrayed with a dark side and personal inner conflict that he's basically raising these children, now teenagers, to be assassins to get revenge on Saki.

Leo being his strongest student, but father/son disagreements as Leo has more of a bushido view on things rather than Leo being the teacher's pet stereotype. Of course, Leo honors his father's wishes, and he's committed to what they are training to do, but he might have the most reservations about their methods and how they should approach things.

I definitely think it should be a team movie, though. No more focusing on the Raph/Leo friction. Raph has been the "star" of the movies too long and Leo the foil to him, leaving Mike and Donnie with less screen time development.

I always thought the notion of going top side and actually making a difference in the city would be interesting for Raph or Mikey to convince the others they could fight crime and use a Batman comic as his inspiration.

And for the love of pizza, Leonardo needs to cut some people. Seriously, the PG ratings have always kept him tame and never able to use his blades. Let him and Raph both use their weapons effectively, not just for show amidst their kicks.

Just some random thoughts I've had over the years.

As for the question of how they should be made, I'd go for either animatronic suits mixed with CG or straight CG like Planet of the Apes or LotR Gollum. Imagine the fights scenes they could come up with if they had a group like Jackie Chan Stunt Team choreographing fight sequences and it was then CG'd over the actual martial arts performances.

That's how I would like them to look. I love those statues. They look like a mix of the cartoon and original movie with the gritty tough edge of the comics.

I've always thought it would be cool if they expanded on the origin story not by changing anything, but by spending more time developing their training. And play up the fact that ninja are essential the special ops concept of feudal Japan. Where did Splinter get their weapons? Why, I'd say he found somewhere, broke in, and stole them.

Where do they get computers, TVs, etc? I'd expect garbage that Donatello repairs, but they're wired into the city and stealing electricity, stealing cable. If they tangled with a robber, they might take his wallet and that's how they pay for getting food delivered.

Really explore their training with the old classic kung fu movie style scenes where Splinter is just plain grueling and vicious with their training, but then a completely different side of him when they aren't training and he's their father figure.

A plot that revolves more around training, preparing, even a few practice "missions" top side, the first time they fight, hell the first time one of them kills someone. Because the first story would be great to be, at its core, a revenge storyline. Training the turtles to avenge Splinter's master by doing what ninjas are trained for: Assassinate Oroku Saki. Maybe no Casey in the first movie, maybe not even April until the second, though that almost seems blasphemous as she offers that connection to the city and expands on just what it is they feel there is for them to fight for beyond revenge.

I always thought there was a lot of material there to do a lot of character development. Splinter should be portrayed with a dark side and personal inner conflict that he's basically raising these children, now teenagers, to be assassins to get revenge on Saki.

Leo being his strongest student, but father/son disagreements as Leo has more of a bushido view on things rather than Leo being the teacher's pet stereotype. Of course, Leo honors his father's wishes, and he's committed to what they are training to do, but he might have the most reservations about their methods and how they should approach things.

I definitely think it should be a team movie, though. No more focusing on the Raph/Leo friction. Raph has been the "star" of the movies too long and Leo the foil to him, leaving Mike and Donnie with less screen time development.

I always thought the notion of going top side and actually making a difference in the city would be interesting for Raph or Mikey to convince the others they could fight crime and use a Batman comic as his inspiration.

And for the love of pizza, Leonardo needs to cut some people. Seriously, the PG ratings have always kept him tame and never able to use his blades. Let him and Raph both use their weapons effectively, not just for show amidst their kicks.

Just some random thoughts I've had over the years.

As for the question of how they should be made, I'd go for either animatronic suits mixed with CG or straight CG like Planet of the Apes or LotR Gollum. Imagine the fights scenes they could come up with if they had a group like Jackie Chan Stunt Team choreographing fight sequences and it was then CG'd over the actual martial arts performances.

That's how I would like them to look. I love those statues. They look like a mix of the cartoon and original movie with the gritty tough edge of the comics.

I've always thought it would be cool if they expanded on the origin story not by changing anything, but by spending more time developing their training. And play up the fact that ninja are essential the special ops concept of feudal Japan. Where did Splinter get their weapons? Why, I'd say he found somewhere, broke in, and stole them.

Where do they get computers, TVs, etc? I'd expect garbage that Donatello repairs, but they're wired into the city and stealing electricity, stealing cable. If they tangled with a robber, they might take his wallet and that's how they pay for getting food delivered.

Really explore their training with the old classic kung fu movie style scenes where Splinter is just plain grueling and vicious with their training, but then a completely different side of him when they aren't training and he's their father figure.

A plot that revolves more around training, preparing, even a few practice "missions" top side, the first time they fight, hell the first time one of them kills someone. Because the first story would be great to be, at its core, a revenge storyline. Training the turtles to avenge Splinter's master by doing what ninjas are trained for: Assassinate Oroku Saki. Maybe no Casey in the first movie, maybe not even April until the second, though that almost seems blasphemous as she offers that connection to the city and expands on just what it is they feel there is for them to fight for beyond revenge.

I always thought there was a lot of material there to do a lot of character development. Splinter should be portrayed with a dark side and personal inner conflict that he's basically raising these children, now teenagers, to be assassins to get revenge on Saki.

Leo being his strongest student, but father/son disagreements as Leo has more of a bushido view on things rather than Leo being the teacher's pet stereotype. Of course, Leo honors his father's wishes, and he's committed to what they are training to do, but he might have the most reservations about their methods and how they should approach things.

I definitely think it should be a team movie, though. No more focusing on the Raph/Leo friction. Raph has been the "star" of the movies too long and Leo the foil to him, leaving Mike and Donnie with less screen time development.

I always thought the notion of going top side and actually making a difference in the city would be interesting for Raph or Mikey to convince the others they could fight crime and use a Batman comic as his inspiration.

And for the love of pizza, Leonardo needs to cut some people. Seriously, the PG ratings have always kept him tame and never able to use his blades. Let him and Raph both use their weapons effectively, not just for show amidst their kicks.

Just some random thoughts I've had over the years.

As for the question of how they should be made, I'd go for either animatronic suits mixed with CG or straight CG like Planet of the Apes or LotR Gollum. Imagine the fights scenes they could come up with if they had a group like Jackie Chan Stunt Team choreographing fight sequences and it was then CG'd over the actual martial arts performances.

I really like your idea of the movie. The whole Batman Begins approach is something the turtles sorely need, just add some comic relief (not just from Mickey but from all of them). Sure, this is a revenge story and a violent one but lets not forget that they're teenagers. That's something I'm really liking in the new nick cartoon.

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Don't make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.

Yeah, I kind of imagined I'd have Raphael be the one that's itching to go top side and fight crime and Batman comics being his inspiration. He'd be the one that appeals to Leo about it, convinces Leo it's their chance to do some good. I like the Leo/Raph friction in personality, but I've felt it's long overdue that they also be shown to really love each other which has come across with Mike/Don's portrayal better in the past. The 4 have different personalities and even disagree on things, but they're brothers. They'll disagree, but Raph would go through hell for Leo, Leo for Raph, Raph for Mike, Mike for Don, Don for Leo, etc. etc. etc.

Mikey is comic relief, but Raph's sarcasm offers comic relief, Donatello's use of foraged tech could provide comic relief. Even Leo can crack a joke once in a while. And honestly, I think the smart ass remarks during a fight are where you could really play it up that they feed off each other. Mike makes a remark, another replies, another adds to it, and before long they're playing off one another making fun of their enemies just as fluidly as they fight complimentary to one another.

If I were referring to movies, I'd say the Batman Begins approach with a splash of Hellboy. I'd definitely see Raph pulled off with Hellboy's type of personality. Less anger, more smart ass, but you push the right buttons and he'll blow his top.

Well, I'd imagine it would depend on who they're fighting. Street thugs? I doubt they'd really pose a threat, and I'd expect them to be making wisecracks (smart ass teenagers, after all) except maybe Leo.

Fighting the Foot, Shredder, etc? Definitely serious.

Speaking of, shouldn't the foot clan be a legitimate threat and not just push overs that use numbers to win? I'd like to see some legitimate challenge when the turtles are fighting foot ninja. Not that every foot would be the highest skilled, but some of them could at least prove to be skilled, right?

I'm loving these ideas. I want a little more serious of a tone in the reboot. And maybe actually SEE the turtles strike people with their weapons physically.

I hate that recent mediums haven't been able to show Ralph stab a person with his sai or Leonardo cleave someone's limbs clean off. I can understand it in cartoons...but in live action I want to see their weapons used properly, as in to kill!!! Just like the original source material.

It's possible, I know it. Kids could still go see this movie, I'm pretty sure having Wolverine slice and stab his way through Rykers men in the mansion in X-2 didn't stop kids from seeing that movie, and we can all agree that scene was badass

Those statues are fine. "Keep it simple, stupid" rings true more than anything.

__________________
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. - Henry Ford
-----------
Who the **** makes a movie and while planning it is like, "you know what this needs...is some Greg Kinnear."